Top 10 wrestlers who should be in the WWE Hall of Fame

Bobby Duncum was a big, rugged cowboy who could put a whipping on you in the ring and lived the life outside of wrestling. Though he did spend time in the WWWF he was best known for his feuds in the AWA as well as working in the NWA for a great many years. Duncum was very underrated as a worker since he was old school where less meant more and his character was one that was easy to hate. Duncum was part of the Bobby Heenan stable and was always a work horse who, even if he lost, still seemed to come out a winner in the end. A great career marked by a number of great matches over the year makes him a very viable candidate for the Hall of Fame.Domenic Denucci was one of the silent but omnipresent wrestlers in the WWWF for many years and never got the due he deserved. Denucci would sometimes tag with Bruno Sammartino and the two would often travel together to Indianapolis to work for Dick the Bruiser's WWA promotion. An uncomfortable moment in the ring in Indianapolis saw Denucci become annoyed with ring announcer Tom Mathis could not pronounce his last name correctly. Denucci has trained a number of stars including Mick Foley and Shane Douglas and was a great worker in the ring.Tony Garea won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship on a number of occasions and was a very underrated worker in his era. He was a staple in the WWWF/WWF for many years and tagged with a young Larry Zbyszko, Dean Ho, Rene Goulet and Rick Martel. Garea was a soft spoken wrestler who let his action in the ring speak for him and feuds with the likes of The Valiant Brothers, The Lumberjacks, The Moondogs and the Wild Samoans were some of the best tag team matches of the time. Garea is a road agent for the WWE and has been since his retirement from the ring. If nothing else his loyalty to the company should be reason enough to include him in the Hall of Fame.View the list »
Professor Toru Tanaka was a staple in the 70s and early 80s in the WWWF/WWF as a tag team partner with Mr. Fuji winning the WWWF World Tag Team Championship as well as challenging for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. Tanaka was also a mainstay in Hollywood gaining parts in "The Running Man" opposite Arnold Schwarznegger and in "The Perfect Weapon" with Jeff Speakman. Tanaka was one of the legit tough guys in wrestling and is more than deserving of being included in the WWE Hall of Fame.

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With the recent and somewhat controversial announcement that Bruno Sammartino had accepted an invitation to be included in the WWE Hall of Fame, the WWE seems to be on the road to being accepted as a legitimate Hall of Fame. Many feel Sammartino sold out to Vince McMahon and the WWE and became something Sammartino said he hated most, a hypocrite. Even with Sammartino acquiescing and being inducted in the place he made famous, Madison Square Garden, there are still a number of workers who deserve to be honored and as of yet have not.

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For many Halls of Fame there is no real rhyme or reason for why they are to be included and the WWE seems to follow no formula other than choosing which wrestlers will make the most money and headlines or who WWE CEO Vince McMahon would like to include. All lists of this sort, especially one where a particular wrestler is recognized, are relative especially when any number of criteria can be used to make the selection.

This list of wrestlers have, historically, meant something if not to the WWE but to professional wrestling in general with some paving the way for the SuperStars of today.

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  • Professor Toru Tanaka was a staple in the 70s and early 80s in the WWWF/WWF as a tag team partner with Mr. Fuji winning the WWWF World Tag Team Championship as well as challenging for the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. Tanaka was also a mainstay in Hollywood gaining parts in "The Running Man" opposite Arnold Schwarznegger and in "The Perfect Weapon" with Jeff Speakman. Tanaka was one of the legit tough guys in wrestling and is more than deserving of being included in the WWE Hall of Fame.
  • Tony Garea won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship on a number of occasions and was a very underrated worker in his era. He was a staple in the WWWF/WWF for many years and tagged with a young Larry Zbyszko, Dean Ho, Rene Goulet and Rick Martel. Garea was a soft spoken wrestler who let his action in the ring speak for him and feuds with the likes of The Valiant Brothers, The Lumberjacks, The Moondogs and the Wild Samoans were some of the best tag team matches of the time. Garea is a road agent for the WWE and has been since his retirement from the ring. If nothing else his loyalty to the company should be reason enough to include him in the Hall of Fame.
  • Domenic Denucci was one of the silent but omnipresent wrestlers in the WWWF for many years and never got the due he deserved. Denucci would sometimes tag with Bruno Sammartino and the two would often travel together to Indianapolis to work for Dick the Bruiser's WWA promotion. An uncomfortable moment in the ring in Indianapolis saw Denucci become annoyed with ring announcer Tom Mathis could not pronounce his last name correctly. Denucci has trained a number of stars including Mick Foley and Shane Douglas and was a great worker in the ring.
  • Bobby Duncum was a big, rugged cowboy who could put a whipping on you in the ring and lived the life outside of wrestling. Though he did spend time in the WWWF he was best known for his feuds in the AWA as well as working in the NWA for a great many years. Duncum was very underrated as a worker since he was old school where less meant more and his character was one that was easy to hate. Duncum was part of the Bobby Heenan stable and was always a work horse who, even if he lost, still seemed to come out a winner in the end. A great career marked by a number of great matches over the year makes him a very viable candidate for the Hall of Fame.
  • Stan "The Man" Stasiak was the man chosen to beat Pedro Morales when the WWWF powers that be decided to put the title back on Bruno Sammartino and did not want two of the most popular wrestlers to face one another. Stasiak beat Morales and then dropped the title to Sammartino without ever getting a proper run with the title even though it is possible he could have made money with Sammartino in the chase. Stasiak made the "heart punch" famous since that was his go-to move and he finished a number of opponents with the move. A big man Stasiak brought fear not only to opponents but also to fans when he walked the aisle. Stasiak may not be the most deserving man to enter the Hall of Fame but he certainly should be there.
  • One of the most influential figures in the history of wrestling due to his legendary matches with Buddy Rogers and being part of one of the biggest riots in New York wrestling history when he and Dick the Bruiser wrestled Argentina Rocca and Eduard Carpentier. A total of eight fans were arrested and a number of police officers were injured and Dick the Bruiser was banned from ever wrestling in New York again while all the wrestlers were fined. Graham was a multiple WWWF Tag Team Champion and spawned a number of other Graham relatives who have used the name to make quite a career for themselves. Larger than life Graham had a number of run-ins with police primarily due to his excessive drinking and wild lifestyle. Not having Graham in the Hall of Fame is a glaring omission by the WWE.
  • Bruiser Brody was a true outlaw in professional wrestling and had a reputation for doing what he wanted regardless of how much it hurt the promotion or the business, Brody was all about the money. Larger than life and legit tough, though some thought of him as a bully, Brody had a reputation for being no-nonsense and take no prisoners. Revered in Japan and feared most everywhere, Brody truly lived life under his own rules. Stabbed to death in Puerto Rico under suspicious circumstances, with some even alleging that the stabbing was over drugs, Brody died way too young. Bruiser Brody is well deserving of inclusion in any legitimate Hall of Fame especially the WWE since Brody did huge numbers when he was booked for the WWWF some years ago.
  • Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher were one of the most prolific tag teams in the 70s holding a number of tag team championships as well as establishing themselves as singles performers. Bruiser and Crusher were one of the most popular tag teams in Japan in the 70s selling out many an arena. Bruiser ran the WWA in Indianapolis for many years and the territory was very successful for many years drawing crowds in excess of 15,000 each time out. Though Bruiser was never able to work in New York after being banned due to causing a riot he and Crusher ruled the tag team area for several years especially in the AWA. The two legends most certainly deserve a posthumous induction into the Hall of Fame.
  • The man who ended the lengthy reign of Bruno Sammartino has been overlooked by the WWE for years and it is high time they include the man who meant so much to the success of future champions, Ivan Koloff. Koloff was a big barrell chested wrestler who was not only strong but he could work and make the crowd hate him just by walking to the ring. Koloff may have found his greatest success in the NWA and Crockett Promotions but the one thing that he has that no one else does, he beat Bruno Sammartino clean to win the WWWF World Championship ending a seven plus year hold on the title Sammartino had. Koloff himself has said he does not understand why the WWE has yet to call him but he is more than deserving to be added to the WWE Hall of Fame.
  • The rumors about why Randy Savage not being inducted are not for the faint of heart and according to some, accurate. The story says Savage allegedly had an affair with Stephanie McMahon and when WWE CEO Vince McMahon learned of the affair he banished Savage from the WWE and vowed never to have anything more to do with the SuperStar. Savage was a very important part of the success of the WWE when McMahon went national and the number of matches Savage had that were off the charts are too numerous to count. By excluding Savage from the Hall of Fame it is doing an injustice not only to the wrestling world but also to the sanctity of the WWE. Since Bruno Sammartino has now accepted the invitation the WWE is remiss in not including Savage. Though there is still bad blood and hurt feelings where Savage is involved it is believed that he will eventually make his way in but right now it would be the sooner the better.
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, Columbus Pro Wrestling Examiner

Dr. Jerry Wiseman was known as the "Managerial Wizard of Ohio Valley Wrestling" for a period of three years. Nicknamed "The Worm," he was one of the most successful independent managers in wrestling at the time, walking to the ring with notables as "Hustler" Rip Rogers, Vic the Bruiser and...

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